The answer is: yes. Some examples: - Python comes from Monty Python - Ruby is inspired by Perl but according Wikipedia chosen because of a bright stone used

The answer is: yes. Some examples: - Python comes from Monty Python - Ruby is inspired by Perl but according Wikipedia chosen because of a bright stone used by one of the authors colleagues - Smalltalk was chosen by Alan Kay to avoid a god-like name and lower expectations (see The Early History of Smalltalk) - Lua is a Portuguese word for Moon, because of a previous project named SOL (sun) I can continue with Pascal, Ada, and Haskell based on people names. Also with Java (maybe inspired by a coffee store), C (which is not even a word), D... The point is: systems and programming languages are made by people. Good naming is important for function/operators/libraries because they play a part in system comprehension. But, otherwise having a “fun” name reflects the humane part of the creation :)